Italy’s outgoing football federation president, Gabriele Gravina, who resigned after the national team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row, has called for repealing the country’s blanket ban on gambling advertising and redirecting betting revenue into youth development, arguing in an 11-page report that 2019 restriction has failed to curb problem gambling while starving Italian football of investment.
Key Takeaways:
Outgoing FIGC president Gravina calls for Dignity Decree repeal in 11-page reform report Serie A clubs estimate €100M-€150M per year in lost sponsorship since 2019 ad ban Italy ranks 49th of 50 leagues for under-21 national team-eligible playing time at 1.9% A Seven-Year Ban Under Fire From All Sides After Huge Sporting FailureGravina cited the final report of Italy’s own Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into illegal gambling, published in 2022, which found that gambling actually increased after the ban took effect – including among minors – and that illegal wagering grew alongside it. The FIGC report also referenced a 2026 UEFA study on European club finances which identified betting and gambling companies as the most common shirt sponsor category across the continent, underscoring the competitive disadvantage facing Italian clubs.
Serie A clubs have estimated losses of at least 100 to 150 million euros annually in foregone sponsorship revenue since the Dignity Decree took effect in 2019. It was introduced by the short-lived Lega–5-Star Movement coalition government as part of its broader labor and anti-poverty package and was contentious from inception.
Gravina’s proposals include channeling a percentage of betting revenues into grassroots programs, academies and stadium construction, reinstating the “Growth Decree” tax regime for foreign professionals, lifting the advertising and sponsorship ban, and restructuring the league pyramid from Serie A through Serie D.
Legislation to formally replace the Dignity Decree has not yet been introduced in parliament, and while sponsorship reform enjoys broad political support, easing restrictions on broadcast and digital advertising is expected to face stronger resistance from public health groups and opposition parties like the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party.
